1 When the Civil War began, most of the soldiers were volunteers. They came from farms and cities. They had no training as soldiers. Both the North and South were ill-equipped for taking care of their wounded. Men who were unable to fight were put into the ambulance corps. There was no plan in place. Battle commanders did not want the ambulances in their way near the front. They were ordered to stay back some two to three miles.2 The first battle of Bull Run was the first main battle of the war. It was near Washington, D.C. Hundreds of people from the city drove out in buggies to watch the battle. They thought the Northern army would quickly win the battle, and the war would be over! Instead, Bull Run was a long, bloody battle. The North was badly beaten. It was said that after the battle of Bull Run, no casualties reached Washington, D.C., in ambulances. .....For the complete story with questions: click here for printable